Sunset filtered through the trees, lighting the side of Conall’s face as he shot Khukri a sour look. Their newest travelling companion identified himself as an ‘alpine monk,’ though that wasn’t any religion she’d ever heard of. Khukri returned the glare, teeth scraping against a large bone Master bought her at the market. Whatever this ‘monk’ was plotting, Khukri was watching, and she wasn’t so easily taken in.
As friendly and forthcoming as Conall pretended to be, he’d already tricked Master into paying for dinner and a carriage to his monastery. Doubtless, the prospect of Master’s money was enough to keep the fangs behind their false smiles. Khukri flexed her jaw, releasing small cracks from the bone as her teeth dug deep.
The monk swallowed and turned his attention back to Master, adjusting his sash for the hundredth time. “We’re not a church; we don’t really have any scripture per se,” Conall rambled on with Master hanging off every word. “Alpine monks study the divine lights. The inner light of beasts, the outer light of plants, and the convergence that makes animals so unique.”
“And the symbol?” Master asked.
Conall turned, presenting the half-covered green snapdragon on his back. “An animal’s light doesn’t change, but with practice we can strengthen the ability to channel it through our bodies. This symbol appears on those who are strong enough. As one’s light grows, the symbol brightens, and with it, our magical abilities grow.”
“Magic?” Master swallowed and threw a glance Khukri’s way. “You have magic?”
“Everyone does.” Conall turned back, leaning in his seat as the carriage thumped over an uneven patch of dirt. “Every animal is born with light from their parents that acts as a seed that lets us see and touch the divine. Initially, it's hard to notice, but you get stronger with each attempt. It took me about two years before I blossomed, but that's with dedicated training every day.”
Khukri’s eyes fell on Master. Only a season earlier, the symbol beneath his shirt brought him precariously close to becoming Via's bounty. Apparently, it wasn’t the symbol she had to worry about, but the colour.
“Anyway.” Conall smiled, bag clutched against his chest. “That’s why we have a monastery here. The Queen... uh, former queen, I suppose, gave us permission to study the ancient wolven shrine in Azure Junction.”
“Ancient wolven shrine?”
Khukri grit her teeth to still her disobedient tongue, eager to scold Master each time his ignorance marked them as prey.
“The… the shrines? Big things made of a mystery metal even a warbow can’t scratch? Goes so deep into the Earth no one’s ever… really?” Conall rubbed his head with a bewildered sigh. “Well, before The Schism, wolves built them all over the globe to interact with the divine lights, somehow. We have monasteries studying most of the ones outside the Tsu Empire.”
Master hesitated, glancing uncertainly at Khukri. “Globe?”
Khukri's stomach tightened as Conall’s curious gaze turned on Master, like he’d found some new species of beast, rather than a hopelessly sheltered royal. “Earth. The planet we live on.” The monk's comment was condescending, though at this point maybe Master needed the hint.
“Master,” Khukri threw him a wary glance, letting the bone roll from her jaws and plop onto onto her lap.
“Relax.” Master badly suppressed a smirk. “Despite how it seems lately, I don’t believe everything I’m told. I’m sure Conall won’t be offended if we don’t share his religious beliefs. If he wants to think the Earth is a some sort of ball—”
Unable to stand it anymore, Khukri slid across the bench and wrapped both hands around Master’s muzzle, her bone clattering to the floor and vanishing beneath the seat. “Shhhh, no more,” she begged, staring wide-eyed into his confused face.
Conall glanced out the window uncomfortably, then cleared his throat. “We’ve gone a bit off-topic, I think.”
Khukri sighed, leaning back and releasing Master’s maw. She’d accept punishment for her disrespect if he so chose; her master's reputation was worth more than hers, after all. “It’s getting late,” Khukri mumbled as she stroked the sides of Master’s face and withdrew, praying he’d take the hint.
Their conversation fell silent, leaving everyone to stew while the clicks and thumps of carriage wheels eased to a halt. “It’s been a long day for everyone, I imagine,” Conall conceded, shouldering his pack as he opend the door. “Why don’t I get you settled, and we can talk tomorrow?”’
With a polite nod, Master exited the carriage, quickly followed by Khukri. They’d traveled a fair amount through the woods and up a steep hill to reach a small fortress encircled by a ten-foot tall log wall and a spiked palisade. In a wooden box above the gate, two deer-girls sat with warbows nocked, squinting through dimming twilight at the vehicle below.
While Master and Conall confirmed accommodations and cost, Khukri sidled up to the drivers, setting a hundred-florin coin on the driver's seat. “You’ve heard of this place before? Is it safe?”
The driver and guard were both deer-girls, though Khukri couldn’t recognize any distinct features beneath the layers of heavy leather. The guard plucked up the coin, turning it in her fingers with an appreciative nod. “We make this trip from time to time. They’re odd ducks for sure, but I’ve never heard about them hurting no one. Never give the queens girls no trouble neither. Far as I know, they’re just a bunch of strange folk with too much money and time.”
Khukri nodded, then shouldered her pack and hurried after Master.
“It’s Conall, open up!”
The gate parted, revealing a central pathway of paving stones surrounded by a garden brimming with flora. Even with her limited plant knowledge, the vibrant greenery in spite of early spring’s middling heat told Khukri there was more to these plants than simple horticulture. An effect likely intended to inspire awe by those prone to think this place divine.
Two deer approached, one with a spear and another with a torch, both wearing unmarked metal breastplates and leather armour. A security company… or whatever the Tythic equivalent was, Khukri decided, issuing a warning glare from behind Master’s back.
“Welcome home, Connall. We weren’t expecting you 'till tomorrow.” The torchbearer smiled as she took his bag, handing it off to the other girl to examine. “Also… Who’s your friend?”
“This is Ashling. He was nice enough to rent us a carriage.” Conall glanced warily at Khukri as he set his hand on Master’s shoulder, urging him forward. “He’s on a voyage of discovery, it seems, and will be staying the night. Ashling, would you mind letting our girls search your bag?”
Khukri clutched the pearl-handled knife strapped to her stomach as Master squirmed uncomfortably. “Why?” he asked.
“Eden is self-governing at the discretion of the Crown,” Conall explained. “If they suspect we’re acting as a haven for criminals, we could lose their cooperation. That was a concern even before we had a new queen to appease.”
Reluctantly, Master relinquished his bag, allowing the girls to pawed through his things before giving it back. When their eyes fell on Khukri she stiffened, baring an inch of steel as she released a low growl.
“Khukri...” Master warned, slipping on his pack.
With a displeased grumble, Khukri sheathed the weapon and handed over Master's money. Tension tightened her muscles as the spearwoman's let out a low whistle. “That’s a lot to carry around. You might want to consider getting a bank account. I mean, you can still enter. There’s no law against carrying a pack full of cash; it’s just dangerous is all. Anyway, welcome to Eden.”
Khukri grunted, yanking the bag protectively to her chest and stalking after Master through the gates. They followed a curved path through the sprawling vegetation, circling the monastery's edge to reach an open field with hundreds of small green buildings topped by strangely curved roofs.
“We call these the Leaves.” Conall made a sweeping gesture as they passed, occasionally checking the numbered doors before selecting one he liked to unlock. “Feel free to make yourself at home, tomorrow, after you've rested, I can show you around and answer any further questions you have. Until then, please don’t wander about. There are places off-limits to outsiders.”
“Of course, thank you,” Master agreed, shaking Conall’s hand before ushering Khukri inside.
The cabin’s interior was a single room of bright, polished wood, separated into four small areas by chest high walls. On the lower level, they had a kitchen with counters and cupboards for preparing and storing food, though nothing to cook with. There was also a room with a large empty basin for washing, as well as a bedroom with cotton pillows and blankets dyed a faded green. A ladder ran from the bedroom to a loft with a smaller bed and a hatch onto the roof. “I don’t trust him,” Khukri grumbled, setting the money beside the bed.
Master closed the door, then shrugged off his pack and dropped it beside hers. “What did I do wrong in the carriage? I thought I was being pretty diplomatic.”
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Khukri sighed. “When people find out you don’t know something everyone else does, it makes them think you’re weak. They’ll use you then stab you in the back.”
He went quiet, jaw grinding as he sat on the bed, gently bouncing to test the mattress. “Not everyone’s like the slavers who raised you.”
“No,” Khukri admitted, kneeling before him and deftly loosening the laces to his boots. “But there are more people like me than you.” She removed the boots and set them aside, giving his foot an affectionate squeeze. “I’ll serve you even if it kills me, but no one else will. Don’t trust anyone until we get new members for our pack.”
Master's fingers slid down the sides of her face, gently pushing her hood back so he could pet her. “Maybe I need to be a bit more careful,” he admitted, “but I can’t exactly hide from the world. If people will take advantage of my ignorance, then I need to be less ignorant.”
“If you don’t know, lie,” she insisted, pressing her head into his palms. “If you want to be a knight your priority should be training, not studying, so if it’s not important, just pretend you understand.”
A shiver drifted through Khukri's body as Master's mood shifted. His hands slowed, growing more assertive as they unclasped her armour’s buckles. “I will get stronger.” He insisted. “But since we’re alone, how about you tell me what I did wrong?”
Instinctively, Khukri’s hands found Master’s belt, eagerly loosening his pants before she remembered herself. Every breath had to hold back ripples of anticipation, lest the waves they create deprive Master of his conquest. Every movement of his muscled form bristled with readiness to cast aside the facade and claim his prey, hands roaming over her body without a hint of hesitation. “The Earth is a ball. That’s not a religious thing, it’s just something everyone knows.”
Only her predator could touch her without fear like that, to know for certain he would have what he wanted, just as soon as he was ready. “What? Really? Why doesn’t the water fall off the bottom?”
Goddess, she wanted to slap him sometimes. What difference would it make if the stupid planet was a sphere, a cube, or entirely in his imagination? Either way, she was in front of him, ripe for conquest. “I grew up in warehouses and training camps, Master, not schools.” Khukri’s fingers cupped his waistband, meeting his eyes as she slid his pants past his knees.
A momentary objection flitted through Master’s expression, then faded into a grin as he slipped the scales from her shoulders. Master gifted Khukri a weapon, but as he reclaimed his property, he exposed her defenceless flesh and snowy fur for inspection. A reminder of the beast she'd be without his guiding hand. His words meant little compared to the fierce gaze of approval upon witnessing her submission, and the guilty hunger he intended to satisfy.
Khukri lowered her head, then slipped his pants free to fold and store them for tomorrow. In the Direwood, teasing and enticing was needed to give Master the confidence to bed her, but he understood the depths of his control now, and wasn’t shy about reminding her where and how he chose.
A shiver ran down her skin as rough fingers threaded through the fur atop her head, rubbing the backs of her ears once more. The familiar, playful touch reminded her she was a good girl, but on nights like this, more strength behind each stroke gave insistence to that reminder. Khukri was a good girl. Khukri would submit.
Waves of tension through Khukri's body became a curse as her groin warmed, preparing for the moment he would finally reach from behind that civil facade to take his prey. Master's kindness wasn't a lie, of course, he truly cared about her.
He just cared about some parts of her a bit more than others.
For now, Khukri played along, innocently smiling as she straightened, locked eyes with him, and unbuttoned his shirt. This weapon had been forged by slavers, honed year-round to kill, but what use did she have to a master who didn't want to kill? Her tail flasher invitingly as she folded his clothes and tucked them in a drawer. “What’s the plan for tomorrow, Master? We still need to find a way to sell your cargo—”
An ear twitched, catching the subtle thump of Master’s feet touching the floor a moment before his fingers wrapped roughly around the base of her tail. Khukri let out a small whimper as his chest pressed into her back. A warm breath rolled down her neck, making Khukri squirm as Master’s other arm wrapped around her, possessively squeezing her breast as he prevented her escape. “Why are you like this?” Master asked softly.
Yes, I can be this. Her fledgling predator still desired prey to sharpen his teeth. A toy for his pleasure, forever obedient, forever useful. “M-Master?” Khukri squirmed in his grasp, grinding her hips into the stiffening length sliding free from its sheath and working its way up her back. “Oh...” she mumbled, lowering her head. “Already? But we spent all day traveling… I was hoping we could relax a bit.”
“Every time...” Master sighed, sending a shock through her body by roughly pinching a nipple. “And then we wait until later, then it’s ‘we don't have time to clean and don't want to clean dried cum out of your fur agian.’ and then ‘we're hungry, shouldn't we have breakfast first?" he grunted, pushing a spike of pain into her as he pinched harder. “You like sex, Khukri. I like sex. Why do you always act like you don’t want it?”
The fur between Khukri’s legs became slick as her body responded to Master’s punishment, eagerly preparing to correct her disobedience. “I’m sorry!” she whined. “D- do you want me to act like I want it?”
“I told you to express yourself honestly,” Master said; a familiar refrain tinged with exasperation. “I just want to know why sex is always a struggle with you.”
A low, apologetic whine escaped Khukri’s throat as she felt the beast inside her retreated. “Please don’t hurt me Master. I’ll do anything—”
This time, Master didn’t let her finish. His hand left her breast, cutting her words off in a choking gasp as it found her steel slave collar. A dull pain raced up her back as he dragged her to the bed, then shoved her onto it, face down. Khukri let out a pathetic, humiliated sob as the fingers around her tail slipped up to her waist, then yanked her leg guards to her knees, exposing her dripping pussy.
“I want to make this good for you,” Master said, pulling her collar back until her knees touched the floor. “But you’re never honest with me, I mean, look at this!” Khukri jumped as his palm gently slapped her pussy, releasing a compliant whimper before his fingers started exploring. “It’s like a summer beach! In a few minutes, you’ll be begging.”
Khukri leaned forward on the bed, clutching the sheets, wriggling away as though she had the right to stop him from taking what he wanted. The buck was ready to breed. His musk practically flooded the room, overpowering her sensitive nose as he tossed her about like his toy. “I’m honest…" She whimpered, I wasn’t trying to stop you...”
“Fine...we do this the hard way, again,” Master said, a sadistic edge creeping into his voice.
Khukri yelped as Master lifted her with both hands and tossed her back-first onto the bed, shaky, eager breaths escaping as he pressed her shoulders to the mattress and mounted her. The tip of his massive cock pressed into her slit, pressure building only long enough for her to let out a pleading, “No, wait…!”
Her ankles caught on her leg guards, binding her feet together her knees were wrenched apart. A horrified gasp escaped as she was unceremoniously ripped open and filled by Master. Her whining turned to weak screams as his cock spread her walls and pressed against her womb, bulging her abdomen slightly from the force.
Then, his magic. A flicker of pleasure radiated from the pain as he pushed into her again. After a minute, what was once a spark had become an inferno, drowning out the pain with endless waves of pleasure, along with everything else. Khukri resisted for as long as she could manage, shuffling and squirming in an attempt to hide the effects of the lust he poured into her. The pleasure from each thrust of his cock raced up her stomach and through her chest, filling her world and drowning out disobedient thoughts for a second. Then Two. Then... three.
The longer Master fucked, the less she remembered to move; limbs falling limp as thoughts turned to how she ached to be perfect for him. Whimpers and begging turned to involuntarily moaning as her warm walls welcomed him, holding him tighter as she became his writhing fucktoy. When she started pressing back, eager to get fucked faster, Master took it as a sign to get rougher. This was when her predator was willing to show his true colours, her owner beneath the veil of empathy and love clouding his thoughts.
Master bucked, fingers digging into her shoulders to slam into her as hard as he could, then tear himself from her pleading pussy before ravaging her again. Faster, harder, deeper. Khukri’s head rolled back as her neck muscles failed, and thoughts of who she was and what she wanted slipped away. Finally she was perfect. A mindless doll for Master’s cock as she drowned in a euphoric sea of orgasmic bliss, tongue rolling free as he drove her to the brink. Then he slowed.
A thin line of drool slipped from Khukri's tongue as she panted, miserable wolven thoughts returning. She squirmed, pleadingly looking into the eyes of the towering beast violating her. “M-Master… please? Please let me cum.”
A victorious, cruel smirk rolled across his lips. “I told you you’d be begging.”
“I’m sorry!” Khukri whined, writhing as pulsating waves of pleasure surged and receded with each agonizing drag of his cock, dragging her to the edge and back in cruel rhythm. “I wanted it! I was lying!”
“I know!” Master leaned close, voice lowering to a simmer as his palm pressed against her throat. It wasn’t rough enough to stop her from breathing, but it showed who was in control. He was her master, her everything. Not even a velkammer could stop this feral wolf, but right here, right now, if he wanted to kill her, she couldn’t stop him. An exhilarating flicker raced down her spine as his fingers tightened, a message from the predator lurking in Master’s heart. “But you insist on making this difficult for me! I love you, you stupid bitch, why won’t you let me-”
A hint of horror touched Master’s expression as the word ‘bitch’ left his lips. His eyes widened and the fingers around her throat withdrew. After a slow, shaky breath, he grabbed her hips and buried himself to the hilt inside her.
Khukri’s back arched, forcing the air from her lungs in a long, mindless howl of ecstasy. Everything she was vanished once more; replaced by an endless all-consuming orgasm that racked every muscle. Her pussy tightened around him, eagerly taking as much cum as her womb could bear before it gushed from between her folds and seeped down her thighs. Each pulse released more, sending spasms of warmth and joy through her twitching body. For a few, glorious minutes, they weren’t two animals, but one entity linked through Master’s pleasure.
When Khukri finally remembered herself, she relaxed; basking in uncontrollable, jerking muscles. Master leaned over her, shaking hands pressed to either side of her head as he took deep, even breaths. For now, she stilled, obediently lowering her eyes so he wouldn’t sense defiance. Over the next minute his posture relaxed and his breathing grew even. Master’s predator slithered behind a forest of civility, abandoning his toy now that it learned it's place. Luckily, Khukri was also fond of the master who loved her.
“I’m sorr-mmh!”
Master’s words cut short as Khukri pulled her knees up. Her paws brushed past his newly-grown wolf tail before crossing behind his butt, yanking him forward and driving his sensitive cock back deep inside. He barely resisted as she pressed their lips together, gently offering the best kiss her wolven jaw would allow.
Khukri squeezed tighter around Master as he tried retreating into his sheath, giggling into his mouth as his new tail swished, tickling the pads of her curling toes.
I like being a good girl.